Automatic circuit-breaker.



PA TENTED NOV. 27, 1906! No. 837,201. I

' A. E. DOMAN.

" AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 21 1902 V I .7 V V INVE 01? 7 rATTORNEYS.

. 1 "UNI ED STATES PATENT oration.

ALBERT E. 'DOMAN, or EL Rincn-NEW. YORK,.ASSIGNOR To THE EL- BRIDGE. ELECTRICAL ivIANUFAoTURmG COMPANY, or \ELBRIDGE,

NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. DOMAN, of Elbridge, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Circuit Breakers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvementsin automatic circuit-breakers, and is particularly applicable for. use in connection with vapor-engines in which the explosive mixture is ignited by an electrical spark, the device being also applicable for use in connectionwith any electric circuit in which the directcurrent is susceptible to pulsations of varying ifre uency or reduction;- 1

he broad Objectotmy invention is to utilize a variation in the frequency or reducinto action under the influence of a steady flow or continuous current through the same circuit or another circuit controlled by the working circuit. t

- To this end the invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts of an automatic circuit-breaker, as hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an electric working circuit adapted for use in the ignition of the ex- 45, plosive mixture of vapor-englnes, showing a sparking coil and my improved circuitbreaker partly in section and diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is. an end view of the sparking coil and my improved circuit-breaker attached thereto. Figs. 3 and a are longitudinal sectional views through one end of the sparking coil, showing my improved circuitbreakerin operative position inFig. 3 as closin the circuit and in its inoperative position ufihg. 4, in which the circuit is broken. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 4.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 21, 1902. Serialllo. 108,349.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

I Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

s previously stated, my mvention is particularly'applicable for use in connection with vapor-engines, in which a sparking or induction coil and terminals are employed to ignite the explosive mixture.

It frequently happens that when the engine in which the sparking terminals are used" is at rest the sparking terminals either remain in contact one with the other or by casual manipulation ofthe engine by hand the sparking terminals are brought into contact and the attendant or operator fails ,to open the switch to break the working circuit. Therefore there is a continuous flow of the current from-the source of electric energy as a battery, which under these circumstances soon exhausts itself, and when the operator or attendantwishes to start the engine the battery-current, if any, is insufiicient to roduce a spark at the contact-terminals. thus seen that in order to maintain the battery energy at its full degree of efiiciency it is necessary to employ someineans influenced by a continuous or steady current which will break the circuit and at the same time is not susceptible to operation by a pulsating-cunrent in which the pulsations are substantially uniform in frequency. This, together with the. objects previously stated, I have sought to carry out, and I have shown in the drawingsone form of my invention as used in connection with a sparking coil and terminals of an electric circuit for igniting theexplosive' mixture of a vapor engine and cons sting, es-' sentially, of asparking coil 1 and ccre z, contact make-and-break device, consisting of terminals 3, adapted to be brought into con tact intermittently by a moving part, as a piston 4 of an engine, (shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1,) all of which parts any desired form, size, 'OI' construction, the

current being supplied from any scurceoi electric energy, as a battery 5. (Also indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1.)

Connected in the electric circuit a switch tis' or circuit breaker 6, consisting of contactterminals 7 and 8, the terminal 7 being mounted upon a movable member, as a lever 9', at oneside of its fulcrum, and the terminal 8 is mounted upon a spring arm 10, portions of the lever 9 and s ring-arm 10 forming a part of the circuit w enthe terminals 7 and 8 are in contact. One of the terminals, as the terminal 7, is arranged to move automaticall out of contact with the terminal 8 for brea ing the circuit under certain condii such manner that the pulsations of a direct current caused by the intermittent contact of the sparkin terminals 3 does not sufficientlyeifect t e detent to release the lever 9; but under pulsations of low frequency or a continuous steady current said detent is operated to release the lever and permit the terminals 7 and 8 to disengage one from the other. The means for controlling the operation of the lever or, rather, of the detent is here shown as consisting of a diaphragm 12, an armature *13, mounted upon the diaphragm in alinement with the core 2, and a suitable chamber 14, interposed-between the diaphragm and adjacent end of the core for receiving an elastic 'body, as air or liquid. The detent 11 is mounted upon the diaphragm 12 in such manner as to receive the adjacent end of the lever 9 for holding the same in its operative position with the terminals 7 and 8 in contact.

- The diaphragm 12 is secured to the outer face of a suitable head or annular rin 15, which in turn is secured to the adjacent ead 16, forming one of the supporting-heads of the core 2 and coil 1. This diaphragm forms the outer Wall of the chamber 14, and the head 16 of the adjacent end of the core 2 forms the inner wall of said chamber, while the head or annular ring forms the inclosing side wall surrounding the chamber, and it is thus apparent that the air or other fluid in the chamber 14 ofiers a certain degree of resistance to the inward movement of the diaphragm 12 and armature 13 and prevents the operation of the detent 11 and switch 6 during the intermittent flow or pulsations of the direct current caused by the intermittent contact of the terminals 3. In order to render this action more certain and automatic, I interpose a valve 18 between the chamber 14 and a vent- 17, the vent 17 serving to admit air or other fluid to the chamber 14 when the diaphragm 12 and armature 13 are in their normal position, and the valve serves to prevent the sudden escape of air from said chamber when the intermittent pulsations through the coil 1 tend to attract the armature 13, the cushion thus aflorded between the diaphragm 13 and closed valve 18 preventing thewithdrawal of the detent 11 from engagement with the adjacent end of the-lever 9 during such intermittent action or pulsation of the current.

Should the sparking terminals 3 remain in contact when the engine 1s at rest, it is eviand steadythrough the coil 1 and that under such conditions the armature 13 and diaphragm 12 are gradually drawn toward the core 2 against the cushion 1n the chamber tinued attraction of the armature the air'or other fluid is gradually expelled from said chamber through leakage to the vent 17 around the valve 18 until the detent 11 is withdrawn from holding engagement with the lever 9, whereupon the weightedend of the lever automatically dro s and disengages the terminal 7 from t e terminal 8, thus breaking the circuit and preserving the energy of the battery 5. As soon as the circuit is broken the diaphragm 12 and the armature attached thereto is returned to its normal position by-any desired means, as a spring 19. When the operator or attendant desires to again start the engine, the switchlever 9 is manually rocked to the osition seen in Fi s. 1 and 3, with the terminal 7 in contact withthe terminal 8, and the detent 11 in holding engagement with the adjacent position until the lever is again released by the continuous or steady flow of the current, the operation of breaking the circuit being entirely automatic. I

In the operation of my invention, Fig. 1,

the oft e lever 9, which is inelectrical"c'd;1netion with the wire 20. When the terminals] and 8 are in contact, the current then flows through the s ring 10, wire additional wire 23 to a second binding-post 24, from which the current passes through the coil 1 to a third binding-post 25 and thence over the wire 26 to the other pole of the battery 5. The valve 18 is interposed between the vent 17 and the main chamber 14 and opens at the edges, as seen in Fig. 5, to admit air or other fluid tosaid chamber 14 when the diaphragm 12 is 'mojwed to its normal position by the spring 19,, said valve being automatically closed by the compression of the fluid in the chamber when the diaphragm is drawn toward the adjacent end of the core 1 under magheticinfiuence upon the armature 3. The air-passage 17 opens to atmosphere and communicates with the space between the valve 18 and end'of the core 2, and the valve 18 opens in the chamber 14, and therefore the atmospheric pressure will always be the same in the space between the valve 18 and the adjacent end of the core 2 and also in the chamber 14 when the diaphragm 12 is drawn outwardly by the spring 19. This valve 18 allows the air to readily 21, to a binding-post 22, and t once over an dent that the current would be continuous 14, it belng understood that under this con- 7 end of the lever, said parts remaining in this the current flows from one pole'of the battery. through a wire 20' to the terminals 3 and is cbntinued throu h an additional wire 20. to

I prevents the tripping of is sufficiently loose to allow the" air to leakaroundits open edges into the space between the'valve'l8 and djacent end of the'core 2,

from which i't c nescape through the vent 17. The head 15 is removably secured to the head 16 bysuitable fastening means, as screws and while this is a particularly simple, compact, and efficient meansfor carrying out the object of my invention it is ev1- dent that other forms of circuit-breaker may be employed and that the meansforcontrolling the circuit-breaker may be connected 'to a separate circuit controlled by the working circuit, I have described particularly the method of operating or releasing the. circuit-- breaker by the continuous current {but it is apparent that should the periodicity of the pulsations of the current become surficiently frequent to produce a continuous influence upon the armature 13 and diaphragm 12 the detent 11 would likewise be Withdrawn from holding engagement with the lever 9 and thereby release said lever and break the working circuit. In like manner should the pulsations be extremely slow, in which in stance the contact-terminals3 would be held for a considerable period of time contact, this would also tend to operate the detent to release the lever and break the working circuit.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the fore: going description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that-the essential feature of this invention is the applica: tion of a variation or cessation of current impulses in an electric circuit to the automatic operation of a switch or circuit-breaker to open said circuit and that various means may be devised for accomplishing this result. Therefore I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1sv l. The combination with a direct electriccircuit, of an intermittentlyactmg makeand-break device in said circuit, means to operate said device to open and close the circuit at regular short intervals, a sparking coil con. nected in said circuit and provided with a core, a circuit-breaker in the electric circuit, a detent holding the circuit-breaker in its closed position, a diaphragm and an airchamber at one end of the core and an armature on the diaphragm operatively connected to trip the detentwhen the circuit stream through the coil for a longer period of'time than the regular periods of contact make-and- "break device.

2. The combination with a direct-current electric circuit and a source of electrlc energy,

of a contact make-'and-break, device 0011- 4 nected in said'circuit and operating at regular intervals, means to actuatesaid device, a

normally closed circuit-breaker and an electromagnet both in the same circuit with said device, an air-chamber, and a diaphragm at one end of the magnet, means on the diaphragm' to hold the circuit-breaker in its closed position, and an armature on the diaphragm attracted by the magnet when the circuit is closed for a longer period than the regular interval of contact of the make-andbreak device to trip the means which holds the circuit-breaker. v I

3. The combination with a direct-current electric igniting circuit of a gas-engine, of an intermittently-acting make-and-break ,device in said circuit, a reciprocatingpiston connected to actuate said device at regular short intervals, a normally closed circuitbreaker in the electric circuit a movable diaphragm, an armature on the diaphragm, a detent on breaker inits closed position, and an electromagnet connected in the electric circuit said armature and diaphragm being brought into action by the magnet when energized longer than the regular interval of operation of the make-and-break contact device to trip the detent.

4. An electric circuit having a direct current and including in the circuit the makeandbreak sparking terminals of a gas-engine, a spark-coil in the circuit, an air-chain'- her at one eno the armature holding said circuitof the coil having one of its T walls movable, an armature carried by the movable wall and attracted by the energiz' ing of the coil, and means controlled by the movable wall to break the circuit when the terminals remain in contact.

5. An electriocircuit having a direct current and including in the circuit the makeand-break sparking terminals of a gasen-' gine, connected in the circuit, an armature for said device, means between the armature and magnetic device acting to resist the ma netic pull upon the armature under the pu sati lg current produced by the intermittent contact of the terminals, and means controlled by the armature for breaking the circuit when intermittent contact of the terminals ceases and they remain in contact.

6. In combination with an intermittentlyacting make-and break contact device of an electric circuit in which a direct current is employed, anelectro'magnetic element connected in the circuit, an armature for said element, a fluid-cushion between said element and armature acting to resist the mag- IYO upon the armature during the intermittent means controlled by the armature to break the circuit when said intermittent action ceases and the contact is closed.

7. In combination with an intermittentlyacting make-and-break contact device of an electric circuit in which a direct current is employed, anelectromagnetic element connected in the circuit, an armature for said element, pneumatic means including a movable diaphragm carrying the armature and o erating to resist the-magnetic pull upon t e armature during the intermittent action of the contact device, a detent on the armature and additional means controlled by the .(letent for breaking the contact when the intermittent action ceases and the contact re mains closed.

The combination with a source of electric energy and a direct-current electric circuit, of make-and-break' contact-terminals connected in said circuit for igniting theexplosive mixture of a gas-engine, a circuitreaker in and fdr said circuit, an electromagnetic element connected in and energized y said circuit, said terminals, circuit-breaker and electromagnetic element being connected H In series in said circuit, a detent for the 011- cuit-breaker, an armature attracted by the electromagnetic element and connected to said means under regular current impulses in the circuit.

9. The combination minals and piston of a operating to produce with the sparking tergas-engine, the latter a regular intermittent contact of the terminals, of a source of electrio energy producing a direct current and its working circuit in which the terminals are connected, a normally closed self-opening electric switch and an electromagnetic device both connected in said circuit; a detent holding the switch closed, an armature for said device and connected to control the operation of the detent, and an air-cushion between the armature and said device to retard the action of the armature under regul ar pulsations of thecurrent, the prolonged contact of the terminals causing the attraction of the armature to trip the detent and permit the opening of the switch.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of'May, 1902.

ALBERT E. DOMAN. 

